'Punk Football' By Andrew Vaughan - Review

According to The Clash, there was “No Elvis, Beatles or The Rolling Stones in 1977.” Maybe not – but there was a Silver Jubilee, The Sex Pistols, Rock Against Racism, Buzzcocks, Pigeon wars, Space Invaders, Bluto’s and Wigan Athletic’s final season as a non-league football club.

PUNK FOOTBALL by Andrew Vaughan was released in 2007 and is a must read for any Latics fan, old or new. ‘Vaughanie’ is a local writer who set up the ‘Cockney Latic’ newsletter and later a fanzine (of which I have many copies of, clogging up my shelf’s somewhere!). Later he was to set up the ‘Mudhuts Media’ website, which brings together all sorts of talents to produce a number of Wigan-related magazines and media, both electronic and on paper!

The book itself is written from the view of an 18-year old Vaughanie in what was to be Wigan Athletic’s last season as a non-league club. That season, 1977/78, was also the height of the (in)famous punk music scene. Needless to say the book is a treat! As a fan of a couple of punk bands, beer, birds and that game which involves kicking a ball around, I could (sort of) relate to it, 30 years on!

Playing in the Northern Premier League, Wigan Athletic were considered to be one of best non-league teams in the country. After a disappointing season in 1976/77, the Football League looked a million miles away, especially after Wigan were criminally denied a place in Division Four in 1971. That was all to change in just 12 months.

The book is like stepping into David Tennant’s TARDIS in 2007 and getting out of Tom Baker’s in 1977. The book transports you back in time with ease, its so good that people from Burnley will think its describing modern day life!

As I wasn’t born during the events described in the book, I’m always interested in finding out what the world was like, especially Wigan, when members of my family were young(er). Needless to say the book meets that requirement easily! From pissed up Rugby players, late licences, bricks
being thrown at coaches, green goddesses, people looking like they got dressed in the dark…okay its not that different from today but I’m sure you get my drift!

But what I get most from the book is Vaughanie’s passion for music. From writing with fond affection about his favourite bands and singers, seeing gigs in the Wigan Casino, Manchester, Liverpool and London. To spending his last penny of his weeks wage on records, taking them home and listening to them for weeks on end. It’s a testament to his taste in music, as you always hear bands such as The Clash, Sex Pistols, Buzzcocks, The Jam (and many more), in the pubs and clubs today. I’ll wager that nobody will be playing the ‘power pop’ of bands like ‘McFly’ in 30 years time!

The book also contains interviews with a couple of local DJ’s, promoters and of course, some of the players from 1977/78. With some cracking stories from the Wigan Observer and various other people. They are done superbly and they really add another dimension to the book, making it not as self-opinionated as my efforts in here!

But seriously, if you’ve got a tenner spare - buy the book – its well worth a read! Even if you’re not a big football or music fan - the book paints a picture of a country not lost in the PC madness we have to endure today.

You can order the book from Mudhuts Media, by visiting their website at http://www.mudhutsmedia.co.uk/